WhatsApp has launched a new product called Flow. The goal of Flow is to make the app’s shopping experience better for both users and merchants. Users will be able to complete tasks such as picking a seat on a flight or booking an appointment within the app. A text box, a calendar, and a seat selector are just a few of the building blocks available to WhatsApp merchants as they build their businesses. Flow, according to WhatsApp, will be available to businesses in the coming months.  WhatsApp said it has been testing Flows with businesses such as Brazilian bank Banco Pan, retailer MagaLu, Lenovo, Indian travel service redBus, India-based bank SBI, and car-reselling platform Spinny. “Shopping and e-commerce is one of the biggest verticals we want to focus on. The goal is to enable business messaging in a way that businesses and people can do a lot more right in the chat thread. We are trying to build rich experiences within the chat, and that’s where Flows comes in,” Nikila Srinivasan, VP of business messaging at Meta, told TechCrunch. In other news, WhatsApp has extended access to its Channels feature to more regions. The company said in a statement that Channels is now available in over 150 countries across the globe. Channels is a one-way broadcast service that allows users to stay up-to-date on topics of interest within the WhatsApp app. Users can find Channels within a separate tab on their chats. It provides a means for users to use WhatsApp as a real-time news and information service on topics of interest. “Our goal is to build the most private broadcast service available. Channels are separate from your chats, and who you choose to follow is not visible to other followers. We also protect the personal information of both admins and followers.” Unlike Status, which lasts 24 hours, Channels lasts 30 days, which is a good way to ensure that the information remains fresh and relevant within the given period. WhatsApp also added a directory to enable users to have more options in terms of finding channels to follow. The Meta-owned chat app says thousands of artists, organizations, sports teams, and thought leaders are now available to follow on Channels. Of course, it means people now have more options in terms of topics to follow. Channels is built on...